Controlling Cancer Electrically

Cancer can be caused by malfunctions in the molecules that switch cell growth on and off. When a switch sticks in the “on” position, tumors and other malignancies get a green light. Now, researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston have glimpsed a way to control those switches with electrical signals.
 
The research team found that electrical pulses to a protein called k-ras, which turns growth signals on and off among cells, can boost the protein’s power and consequently hobble the growth of cancer cells.
 
TRENDPOST: The discovery opens a new path of research for treatment of colon, lung, pancreatic and other cancers marked by malfunctioning electrical signals among cells.